LOS ANGELES – Vanderbilt women’s basketball’s All-American Mikayla Blakes has been selected to the 2025-26 John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 watch list, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced on Wednesday.
With Blakes’ selection to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 watch list, the sophomore is in consideration for one of the most prestigious national player of the year honors in college basketball. She was one of 25 players selected to the midseason watch list. The Somerset, New Jersey, native’s inclusion on the Wooden Award midseason watch list also puts her in consideration for the Wooden Award All-American team.
The six-time All-American picked up where she left off after a historic freshman season at Vanderbilt. The 2024-25 USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Year leads the SEC in scoring through the first week of conference play, as Blakes is putting 25.2 points per game this season. The guard has scored 30-plus points in four contests, while she has eclipsed the 20-point plateau in 11 games. Blakes is one of two players in NCAA Division I this season to rank inside the top 10 nationally in scoring (3rd; 25.2 ppg) and steals per game (8th; 3.73).
Blakes has twice been named SEC Player of the Week this season and has been on the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Players of the Week and the NCAA Starting 5 teams on two separate occasions. The All-American was recently named National Player of the Week by the Naismith Trophy and the Associated Press after averaging 33.5 points, 6.0 assists and 3.0 steals in a pair of wins to help the Commodores open SEC play. The sophomore put on a show in front of a nationally-televised audience on ESPN, as Blakes scored 32 points and dished out four assists to help the Dores defeat No. 5/5 LSU, 65-61, at Memorial Gym this past Sunday.
No. 7/6-ranked Vanderbilt returns to action on Thursday, as the Commodores welcome Missouri to the Music City. Tipoff from Memorial Gymnasium is set for 6:30 p.m. CT, and streams live on SEC Network+.
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2025-25 John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List
Janiah Barker, Tennessee
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Lauren Betts, UCLA
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
Madison Booker, Texas
Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State
Aaliyah Chavez, Oklahoma
Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee
Audi Crooks, Iowa State
Jasmine “Jazzy” Davidson, USC
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Azzi Fudd, UConn
MiLaysia Fulwiley, LSU
Rori Harmon, Texas
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Flau’jae Johnson, LSU
Ta’Niya Latson, South Carolina
Cotie McMahon, Ole Miss
Olivia Miles, TCU
Olivia Olson, Michigan
Khamil Pierre, NC State
Kiki Rice, UCLA
Clara Strack, Kentucky
Sarah Strong , UConn
Mikaylah Williams, LSU
